Ohio State returns home.

The No. 18 Buckeyes start their three-game set over the next week against Minnesota Tuesday night.

Here's what you need to know.

No. 18 Ohio State (15-6, 8-4 Big Ten) vs. Minnesota (12-10, 3-10 Big Ten)

WHEN: 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Value City Arena; Columbus, Ohio

TV: Big Ten Network

RADIO: Ohio State Radio Network from Learfield

SERIES: Ohio State leads 76-46

KenPom Prediction: Ohio State 76, Minnesota 65

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Becoming a player-led team

Chris Holtmann sensed the change in Ann Arbor: Ohio State was in the process of changing from a coach-led team to a player-led team right as the Buckeyes look to find their stride.

With only eight games left in the 2021-22 regular season — six of which are within the friendly confines of the Schottenstein Center — assistant coach Ryan Pedon sees a group of experienced players that have played a lot of important minutes in real battles.

He sees that leadership beginning to form.

“All great teams, great programs, teams that are playing meaningful games in February and March, they have leadership that begins to take a hold in February,” Pedon said. “We challenged our guys with that. They are tired of hearing coaches after four or five months saying some of the same things over and over, so the players can take a hold of practices a little bit more and become a player-led team. We’ve been a part of some teams that have had some great leadership like they down the stretch and it usually equates to success.”

It’s something Pedon and Holtmann have seen before.

They both saw it in their first years at Ohio State with Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate at the end of the 2017-18 season. That trend was passed on, continuing to players like Keyshawn Woods, Andre Wesson, Kaleb Wesson and as recently as CJ Walker.

For the older members of the roster, players like Justin Ahrens, Kyle Young, Jamari Wheeler and E.J. Liddell, the urgency is coming.

“An urgency that young players don’t see, a light at the end of the tunnel or the end of the road coming,” Pedon said. “When you have older guys that have been through battles with you before and see that coming, I think it can be a very powerful thing.”

A rematch with Minnesota

The last time Ohio State faced Minnesota, E.J. Liddell made history.

With an and-one free-throw make, the junior forward became the 60th player in Ohio State to reach 1,000 career points. Liddell did Liddell things offensively, leading the team with 23 points, while also generating a team-high five assists.

But that wasn’t what made him the impact player Ohio State needed him to be.

It was his rebounding skills, leading the team with 15 boards, eight of which came off the offensive glass, representing what was just a dominant rebounding performance for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State out-rebounding Minnesota at The Barn, 48-22, recording only two less offensive rebounds than the Golden Gophers’ total. In the paint, Ohio State recorded 40 points in the paint compared to Minnesota’s 26, also adding five blocks by five different players.

Against Ohio State, forward Jamison Battle, Minnesota’s leading scorer, led the team with 15 points, but made his five field goals on 18 attempts from the field, including three 3-pointers on 10 tries.

But this Minnesota team is different…

In their first matchup, Minnesota didn’t have its paint presence: Eric Curry, who Pedon views as a “big key” for the Golden Gophers on both sides of the ball.

The redshirt senior is scoring a career-high 8.9 points per game in 27.5 minutes per game in his first real opportunity to start for Minnesota, shooting 44.2% from the field, while adding a career-high 6.2 rebounds per game.

To Pedon, he’s a player that’s played his fair share of Big Ten battles, using size and physicality to match opponents in the paint.

“What he brings to their team, it changes the look of their team,” Pedon said. “They are not a particularly deep team and you lose a guy like that, that hurt them from an energy standpoint, from a physicality standpoint and from a depth standpoint. But with him back, it’s really a different look on the interior.

“We will have to be ready to match his effort. We also know they are going to be reminded that we did have our way with them in the first game in the paint. That’s something we have to earn on a nightly basis. Regardless of what happened in a previous game or last game or two weeks ago, whatever, what is going to matter is the team that’s going to be the most desperate team, the hungrier team, the team that refuses to be denied in the paint. That’s the team that’s going to be in the best position to win the game tomorrow night."

Ohio State was able to shut down Minnesota before, with a highly efficient performance inside the 3-point line and a dominant presence on the glass, bringing in 20 offensive rebounds, only two less than the Golden Gophers had the entire game.

Coming off one of the high points of the 2021-22 season, that same formula will likely lead the Buckeyes to victory again only four games since they last faced off, especially if Justin Ahrens and Meechie Johnson Jr. don't combine for two 3-point makes on 12 attempts.

Even though Minnesota may look a bit different with Curry back into the fold, Ohio State shouldn't need to change much to keep that home win streak alive.

No. 18 Ohio State 75, Minnesota 66